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    Brian's Grill

    4.5 (36 reviews)
    InexpensiveBurgers
    Closed Closed

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    BRIAN'S GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Mande B.

    Oh my gosh!! First bite was amazing. Owner working the grill who was extremely nice giving suggestions and even offered that if I didn't like something, he would re trashed what I got and made me something else. Food is of very high quality and the prices are very reasonable. The chili is homemade each day and add a great layer of flavor to the burgers/hot dogs. There's only about 15 or so seats, which leads to the total local vibe. All drinks are in a bottle, and they feature Cheerwine and Sun Drop. Food is made in record time to get customers fed or out the door. This is a cash only place, so make sure you have enough to pay for your food and tip. Make sure to recycle your empty bottle before you step out the door. "Another Day in Paradise"

    a sloppy beef sandwich
    Rusty J.

    We stopped in for lunch while passing through the downtown area. The small diner had just finished breakfast and had transitioned to lunch. The menu is pretty limited. Hamburger, hotdog, chips, bottled soft drinks. I ordered a hamburger all-the-way. My friend got a hot dog. The chili on the hamburger was good. The burger reminds of a fresh burger you'd get at a family cookout. The food is prepared right in front of you. It was prepared immediately with no waiting. They have a 97 sanitation grade.

    Karl K.

    China Grove, where Brian's Grill is located, is in the midst of a revitalization. This gentrification appears, however, to be limited to the downtown area, for you will have to pass through a pretty seedy area on North Main Street to get to it. These tatterdemalion businesses include a couple of fish game places if you have reached rock bottom in your gambling activities as well as a strip club that has a hotel around back. I'm not making this up. I cannot even begin to imagine the creatures that work in or patronize this establishment. I could discuss gentrification and the moral decay of society all day, but we have a review to finish. Brian's is cash only, and they have a simple menu that is basically hot dogs and hamburgers. I ordered two hotdogs all the way, fries, and a Cheerwine slushy. The fries were fresh, hot, and delicious. The Cheerwine slushy was very good, but like so many slushy drinks, left me with little juice and a lot of ice all too quickly. The hotdogs were also very good with a frank that was above average. The chili was interesting. It was good to be sure but different. It had no chili flavor. The seasonings that are in chili powder were nowhere to be found. But it DID have flavor--It was akin to a sloppy joe. The chili was also greasy, depositing a dark orange grease ring on the bun. Nevertheless, the taste was pretty good. If I were evaluating only on the above items, I could make a strong case for four stars. But Brian's only gets three stars for essentially two reasons. First, they have no cole slaw. What North Carolina hotdog joint serves a hotdog all the way, but with no slaw? That's part of what all the way IS. Second, they cook burgers way ahead of time. I do not like this. When I ordered, there were at least 20 burgers that had been completely cooked and set aside to the corner of the grill to keep them warm. No thanks. It is why I didn't try the burger. Brian's has a friendly staff, a pretty good product, and they are very popular with the locals. But I think their overall rating is a bit too generous.

    Carolina Style Burger
    Fred B.

    Brian's Grill is a small, really small, bare bones grill on Main Street in this equally small town, perhaps best known from a culinary view point for a barbecue restaurant opened in 1971 by Gary Ritchie. The menu is small, as well, hot dogs, burgers, and a bit more, but you want to go with the hot dogs most of all, the burgers are worth a visit (go Carolina burger style), but the dogs are what they do best here! And it is because of the chili, but then again, it always is! Here, they brown the beef first (some do, some don't), then add the liquid, plenty of chopped onions, and the spices including some with heat, slow cook it for 3 hours with the lid on, Take the lid off, taste and re-season, and add liquid if necessary, then slow cook for 3 more hours, without the lid - then put in it the frig until the next day! And you thought it was just chili!

    breakfast sandwich of champions
    Daniel P.

    heading north for the day and the first account is now a candy store in china grove so we're off to door number two... but not before stopping at Brian's. looking at an extra full schedule so I'm walking around with a breakfast sandwich in my pocket looking for a place to get a pint and get noped instead. so I go back to the truck, unwrap my foods and have a look and a sniff and a taste; I am pleased but not thrilled. a fair piece of sausage cooked through and crisped a bit around the edges plus a medium scrambled egg and mustard and mayo on a bun. a plain bun: not toasted, not buttered, not grilled, not fresh out the oven with a firm crust and soft, warm, flaky insides, just a bun :-( still, rounding up with expectation of getting some assistance having my bun warmed when we roll through again in two weeks. might even go full five if I find finely shredded cabbage and pickled dikon radish in there...

    Best burgers in China Grove
    Dan B.

    If you want the best burger on the east coast this is your place! Seriously melts in your mouth

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    6 months ago

    I love their food got a livermush and egg yesterday it was great!!! The owner and staff are very friendly

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    7 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Best hot dogs ever! Simple, and delicious! Little hometown appeal, supporting small business.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Super Quick and Cheap. Chili Cheeseburger was a hit. hit the spot! just bring cash!

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    6 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The best bacon egg and cheese around Chain Grove . Fresh food ,quick severe and always friendly conversation

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Really quite greasy plus they don't make coleslaw was sick on my stomach from the grease in the chili

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    5 years ago

    One of it must stop places when we are visiting the area. Thank you for great food ans service!

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    8 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    6 years ago

    BEST BURGER AROUND! Quick service In and Out, especially if you call before arriving for carry out. Worth a stop. You won't regret.

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    17 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

    I love their food. The best mom and pop style Burgers and hot dogs. Also they do yummy breakfast. This establishment has a loyal following.

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    7 years ago

    Great hamburger spot in a small town atmosphere. We enjoy eating here. The service is great.

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    12 years ago

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    10 years ago

    One of the best mom n pops hamburger joints, other than Hap's Grill (his dad), and is simple and fast.

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    16 years ago

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    14 years ago

    This has some of the best food I have ever had. It has a great atmosphere too! The food's a little greasy, but still good!

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    11 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Brian's Grill

    Review Highlights - Brian's Grill

    It is literally Breakfast: Bacon, Sausage, Livermush and Lunch: Hamburger, Hot Dog, etc.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    China Grove Family House - Fried pickle

    China Grove Family House

    4.0(133 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $

    Friendly smiles all around! Walked in and was seated immediately. The sweetest waitress came over…read moreto attend us and she was so helpful in helping choose a few things from the menu! The place was clean and the seats were booth style with plenty of tummy room to slide in and be able to breathe comfortably. The food was AMAZING! The codfish sandwich coating was seasoned great but the fish itself could've used a lil razzle dazzle of salt and pepper but it was great! We ordered a veggie plate with Mac n cheese, which was good but not baked style which is my personal preference. The hush puppies were light with a nice crispy crunch exterior. The collard greens were OK, cooked down good but could've used a lil kick to them, again just a personal preference. The star of the show was the sweet potato yams! It had a marshmallow melted topping but they were seasoned perfectly! And since we went on a Monday they do offer daily specials, that day it was pot roast. Boy was that delicious! It was so tender it was falling apart while trying to pick it up. The gravy was spot on! It's a lunch/dinner spot but well with it. Definitely will return again.

    What a pleasant surprise. We were looking for a place for breakfast. We went China Grove based on…read morerecommendations and we were not disappointed. The eggs and French toast were perfectly prepared. The service and follow up were superb and worth commending.

    Photos
    China Grove Family House
    China Grove Family House - Chicken and Rice Soup

    Chicken and Rice Soup

    China Grove Family House - Front entrance

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    Front entrance

    Garys Barbecue - All the way

    Garys Barbecue

    4.2(171 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $

    It's ok....really good service from Kym. Hotdogs are decent too-will need to come back and try…read moretheir BBQ. New ownership but he is a foodservice veteran and seems to be doing a good job and sticking to the traditional Gary's concept which is good. Really cool vintage decor and bathrooms were clean.

    Came to Gary's Bar-B-Q after doing some pottery painting nearby. It was such a bizarre experience…read more The place definitely feels like your usual kitschy southern barbecue spot. The menu however is really hard to understand. They have trays but don't explain what comes with the tray or what the difference is between a large and small tray. I've also never been to a barbecue place that only serves chicken or ribs on certain days. We asked the waitress about the mac and cheese, and she said it's just Kraft mac and cheese. A barbecue place that isn't even making their own homemade mac and cheese is insane. We ended up ordering fried pickles, a half dozen hushpuppies, a bacon cheeseburger, and 3 Bar-B-Q sandwiches. Sadly enough, the hush puppies were the best part of this entire meal. The fried pickles were fine, nothing to write home about. The bacon cheeseburger wasn't that edible, definitely tasted frozen. The Bar-B-Q sandwiches were also just fine. Satisfied our hunger but wouldn't necessarily eat them again. The even more bizarre part was that we were given no plates, no silverware, and as we were eating, we're watching the staff fill condiment bottles, leaving the old ketchup at the bottom and filling it with new ketchup. Lastly, they only accept cash and checks. This entire meal including drinks was only about $35, which seems like a steal, but the carch is that the food isn't that great. You most definitely get what you pay for at Gary's.

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    Garys Barbecue
    Garys Barbecue - Footlong hot dog all the way

    Footlong hot dog all the way

    Garys Barbecue - Cheese burger

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    Cheese burger

    What A Burger 1 - Fish Sandwich

    What A Burger 1

    2.9(38 reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $

    DO NOT CONFUSE THIS PLACE WITH WHATABURGER... THEY ARE NOT THE SAME!!!…read more We saw a review of this place on YouTube and decided to try it out because it's "sorta" on our way through NC. "Sorta..." means the exit is off 85 but the restaurant is 8.5 miles off the exit. That said, we would do it again. And that should tell you mostly what you need to know because it's not super convenient to get to, but it is worth it. It also says a lot that this place was PACKED! Founded in 1955 in Kannapolis, NC, I see some similarities to what the big chain Whataburger USED to be. Which got me thinking that someone copy-catted someone. I had to know so I looked it up and saw Whataburger was founded in 1950, five years before this business.... I can only assume the founders of this restaurant visited Texas, tried that famous burger restaurant and brought the idea back to NC with them. And I'm not mad about that because, where the "famous" Whataburger has dropped the ball and failed, What-A-Burger has continued to succeed when it comes to quality. As a matter of fact, if I closed my eyes and took a bite of the What-A-Cheeseburger.... It instantly reminds me of my childhood days in Texas. The bread was fresh, the lettuce crispy, the tomato juicy, the cheese not old or congealed and the patty was fresh, juicy and had that amazing true grilled taste. We also tried the hotdog. Coming standard with chili, slaw, onions, we added mustard. And while I loved the What-A-Cheeseburger a lot, I was surprised to find (because I don't generally care for hotdogs) that the hotdog was my favorite item. The chili had a great flavor. The slaw was creamy and crisp, the onions were also crisp, and again the bun was very fresh. The hotdog itself had good flavor and snap to it. We did have a few minor negatives. The fries had no seasoning on them and the onion rings were just okay. Not bad by any means but not stellar. Neither of these are a dealbreaker for us, though. I saw after ordering that they have curly fries so maybe next time we'll give those a try. The drink selection is definitely quirky but I like quirky. While they serve some Pepsi products, they do not sell Mountain Dew. Their Pepsi lineup is limited to Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, and Starry. They also offer Patio Red Cherry (I don't know what that is) SunDrop, and Cheerwine; along with what they call, "The Witch Doctor." I got that and while I'm not sure what's all in it, I loved it! Definitely different and I'd get it again. Sweet and unsweetened tea are also offered. The staff were friendly and helpful and while waiting for our food, I struck up a conversation with an elderly man who said he's been coming here for as long as they've been here. Building is a bit dated, but I like that about it. It adds to the experience. They are both a drive in and a dine in place with the old carhop order stations, which again, I thought was pretty awesome. Overall, our experience here was great. This place has almost no social media presence, which while it makes finding an updated menu a challenge, I'd rather them keep putting the focus on their great food, rather than pandering to the masses. 8/10... would absolutely come back.

    Came here and (like many others) thought it was the Whataburger franchise. I personally think it's…read morebetter! I ordered the double what-a-burger and my girlfriend ordered the ranch burger and they both came out delicious. It reminds me of a very retro 70's burger joint which I love. Needless to say we were not disappointed by the surprise of this establishment.

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    What A Burger 1 - Love this sign!!

    Love this sign!!

    What A Burger 1 - What-a-Cheeseburger bun

    What-a-Cheeseburger bun

    What A Burger 1 - Cool carhop stations

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    Cool carhop stations

    Brian's Grill - burgers - Updated May 2026

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